Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Today I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 3874, the Black Hills Cemetery Act. This bill is of great importance to many communities in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Black Hills in South Dakota is home to a number of historic communities and cemeteries. Many of these originated in old mining towns in the 1800s. They have unique significance to the surrounding communities. These include the Englewood Cemetery, the Galena Cemetery, Hayward Cemetery, Mountain Meadows Cemetery, Roubaix Cemetery, Nemo Cemetery, Rocker-ville Cemetery, Silver City Cemetery, and the Cold Springs Cemetery. These cemeteries are currently being managed by local cemetery associations or community groups in the surrounding areas, but have been technically owned by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1900s. This causes unnecessary liability for the U.S. Forest Service because of responsibility for upkeep and dealing with possible vandalism or damage to the property. The Black Hills Cemetery Act would simply transfer ownership of these cemeteries and up to 2 acres of adjacent land to the caretaking communities that have managed them for generations under special-use permits issued by the Forest Service at almost no cost to taxpayers. It also makes clear that these cemeteries will continue to be used for the same purpose as they have always been used in the past.…”